Necktie



W. A. KEYS YNECKTIE Nov. 24, 1936.

Filed April 21; 1936 INVENTOR WiZZiang rfl fe g;

- W%NE Y Patented Nov. 2 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlQE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to neckties and more particularly to the neckbandconstruction thereof. The primary object of the invention is to providea neckband of an adjustable type enabling the attainment of a smooth,even fit, yet presenting the appearance of the conventionalnon-adjustable kind, since the elements of the adjusting means are sodisposed as to be wholly inconspicuous and substantially undiscerniblewhen the necktie is worn.

Another object of the invention is to provide a neckband having elasticmeans for holding the band snugly and smoothly about the collar, andpermitting the band to accommodate itself evenly to collars of differentsizes, said elastic means being so inserted in the band that sleeve-likeportions of the band normally extend over and conceal the elastic meansduring conventional wear of the necktie so that said elastic means isthereby rendered substantially invisible.

Another object of the invention is to provide detachable fastening meansfor uniting the ends of the neckband, with a part of the neckband sodisposed as to form a concealing tab extending over and hiding thefastening means.

These and other objects are attained by the structure hereinafterdisclosed and more particularly pointed out in the claims appendedhereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is shown, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a necktie made inaccordance with the invention, looking at the rear of the tie; Fig. 2 isa View of the rear of the tie with parts broken away and the elasticinsert in the neckband expanded or stretched; Fig. 3 is a sectional viewon the line 3-3 of Fig.

1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a view of the inner face of a part of the neckband, showingthe detachable fastening 40 means for connecting the ends of thebandtogether.

The necktie shown in the drawing is of the socalled bow or dress type,although it will be understoood that the invention may be applied 45 toother types of neckties.

In the drawing l indicates the conventional knot portion of the tie fromwhich the wings 2 and 3 extend in the usual manner. The tie shown is ofthe pre-formed type in which the knot l and wings 2 and 3 arepermanently held together and remain so whether the tie is in use ornot. Secured at the back of the knot I and wings 2 and 3, as by thestitches 4 located behind and concealed by the knot portion 1, is astrip 55 of elastic webbing 5 or other similar flat elastic material.The ends 6 of said elastic strip are disposed within tubular portions orsleeves l and 8 formed on the opposite ends of the inelastic or fabricneckband 9. Stitches shown at It secure the ends of the elastic strip 5within the neckband 9 and within the sleeve portions 7 and 8 thereof.

The neckband is provided with an adjustable loop portion it which may beregulated as to size and held in any adjusted size by means of 10 aslide or cinch fastener member ll. Said loop i6 is provided with a loopor eye member i2 comprising a part of a detachable fastener and which isadapted to be engaged with a hook member l3 comprising the other part ofsaid fastener, said 15 hook member being secured to the other end I4 ofthe neckband.

It will be noted in Figs. 1 and 4 that the hook fastener member i3 isattached to the neckband end It at a point situated a short distancefrom 20 the end thereof so that a resultant projecting tab portion [5 isformed, which when the fastener members l2 and i3 are connectedtogether, overlies said fastener members and serves to conceal them.

With the arrangement disclosed, a neckband is provided which is capableof adjustment to a very great extent and while the tie is being wornhugs the collar firmly and smoothly.

In expanding the neckband in the act of plac- 3O ing it on a collar, theelastic strip 5 can be stretched to the required extent as shown in Fig.

2, and it is only at this time that the elastic band portion thereof, orat least any material part of it, becomes visible. When the fasteningmembers l2 and I3 are engaged at the back of the neck, the elastic strip5 then contracts to a very slightly stretched or even to a normalunstretched condition and during such contraction, the sleeve portions 1and 8 move toward one another and finally extend over and conceal theelastic strip. Thus, when the necktie is in normal wear, the sleeves 1and 8 extending over the elastic strip on opposite sides of the knotportion I serve to conceal it so that only the inelastic fabric portionof the neckband is visible when the tie is worn. This elastic striptogether with the cinch slide II and the detachable fastening means l2and I3 enable the neckband to be conveniently and effectively fitted tocollars of different sizes and permits the securement of a snug, smoothfit of the neckband on a collar. The projecting tab portion 15 extendsover the fastening means l2 and I3 and serves to conceal them from viewso that when the neckband is worn it presents the general appearance ofthe usual one-piece neckband.

While I have shown the elastic strip as being located directly behindthe knot and wings of the tie, it will be understood that this elasticportion may be located elsewhere in the neckband. Also, instead of beingattached to two end portions of the inelastic body of the neckband, itcan be arranged to extend into only one sleeve portion on one end of theband, the other end being secured directly in the knot portion. Theseand other modifications may be made in the structure without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. For example also, the fasteningmembers [2 and i3, instead of being located at the back of the necktiemay be located at the knot forming portion l and behind one of the wingsof the tie. In such case, the elastic strip will extend from the knotforming portion behind the other wing of the tie and be enclosed in asingle sleeve formed on one end of the inelastic portion of the band.

What I claim is:

1. In a necktie, a knot portion, wings extending therefrom, an elasticstrip secured at the back of the knot portion and having laterallyextending ends projecting in back of and covered by the wings, atwo-part inelastic neckband having adjacent ends formed with sleeveportions into which the ends of the elastic strip extend and are securedwith said sleeves extending over and concealing the elastic strip onopposite sides of aoercao the knot While said strip is in an unstretchedcondition, the other ends of the neckband parts being separablyconnected together whereby an even tension is placed on the elasticstrip at each side of the bow knot when the inelastic neckband ismanipulated for placing the tie in position on the collar of the wearerand eliminating handling of the necktie bow.

2. In a necktie of the bow or wing type, a knot from which projectingwings extend, an elastic strip secured in the knot and having projectingends extending laterally from the knot on opposite sides of the same andlocated behind the wings, a neckband having two sections provided withdetachable connection means, at least one of said sections having meansfor adjustably regulating its effective length, one end of each of saidneckband sections having a sleeve portion into which one of the ends ofthe elastic strip extends and secured thereto with said sleeve portionsextending over and concealing the elastic strip while said strip is inan unstretched condition, the other ends of the neckband sections beingseparably connected together at a point remote from the necktie bowwhereby an even tension is placed on the elastic strip at each side ofthe bow knot when the free ends of the neckband sections are manipulatedfor placing the necktie in position on the collar of the wearer andeliminating handling of the necktie bow.

WILLIAM A. KEYS.

